Category Archives: B2B

It’s the most dreaded of duties. And if it’s done at all, it’s usually done poorly.

I’m talking about lead follow-up. Whether by phone or by email, follow up often means rejection. And, no matter how much self-esteem you have, rejection has a sharp bite.

It’s hard to cold call. It’s hard to cold email. Even when someone has opted in to our newsletters or downloaded an eBook – it’s difficult to call and ask about their level or interest, ask to set up an appointment, ask for further engagement.

It’s better to offer than to ask. And, be prepared to make multiple offers of something of value that helps them.

You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want. – Zig Ziglar

I listened to a podcast producer talk about his process and approach to booking guests. His strategy, energy, creativity and persistence is a great model for sales and marketing people.

There will always be people who say no. There will be people who say yes. We have to make the call, make the ask, to get to “yes.”

I’m sure Cohen is aided by his sincerity and his curiosity. He has a strategy and he often repeats the Zig Ziglar quote, “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

Provide value. Be present.

Think in terms of what’s in it for them.

I love his creativity. He knows that it may require several attempts on his part to convince the subject or convince and get past the gatekeeper. He approaches the task by looking to help them get what they want. He continues to look for ways to provide additional value and keep his communication personal and fresh.

What To Do When Things Go Wrong The title of this post is flawed. It’s telling a story that might not be true. Obstacles Those moments, “when things go wrong,” whether in business, in travel, and in my personal life – for the most part – are better described as unforeseen circumstances, an inconvenience, a… Continue Reading

Escaping the “Easily Inspired, Rarely Changed” Mode and Building True Success “Give your goals a time and place to live in the world.” What do you want to accomplish? What is that goal? And, if you’ve failed to accomplish that goal, what was the reason? I can’t count the number of great Ideas that have… Continue Reading

But You Can’t Use That… Reviews are, for the most part, pure potent content. Reviews mostly tell the unvarnished truth. Compare that to the copy that most businesses post to their websites – little more than jargon goulash. Rumor has it that reviews help to boost search rankings of your business or products. The Google… Continue Reading

It takes about seven impressions for your brand to have any sort of mindshare with your ideal prospects. That’s what the late Jay Conrad Levinson stated in a keynote I attended a number of years ago. He followed up that statement with “but you have to recognize that two out of three times they’re not… Continue Reading

The book has been published! It’s available on amazon.com. If you’d like a better blueprint for a lucrative source of referrals than say, asking each of your customers for three names, then you’ll benefit from Renewable Referrals. I’m honored to report that John Jantsch, author of The Referral Engine, The Commitment Engine, Duct Tape Sales… Continue Reading

For successful B2Bs, the hub of their marketing should be their website. All of your marketing efforts – inbound and outbound, direct mail and email, social media, etc. – should be driving traffic to your website. That means you website should provide a good visitor experience, should have visible calls to action, and should be… Continue Reading

The seven stages of the Marketing Hourglass are Know Like Trust Try Buy Repeat Refer. When you sell a high-end solution, creating content or deliverables for the ‘Try’ step can be challenging. Chances are you’ve investigated a solution for your own business where there is s free version and paid versions. The intent is simple: … Continue Reading

Are the best marketing plans largely comprised of online marketing? Direct marketing? A combination of both? Is it necessary to do SWOT analysis? Should you spend 5% or 7% or more on your marketing? Or is there something else? Here’s the secret: the best marketing plan is the one that gets done. It’s the plan… Continue Reading

If you’ve populated your B2B Social Media networks with the right people, you have cultivated platforms with which you can be visible to your key B2B audience. Social Media allows you to demonstrate frequently your competitive advantage and why your ideal prospect will benefit from working with you. The key is cultivating the audience and… Continue Reading